Clasp



' (N o Model.)

J. M. DA-VIS. CLASP.

No. 568,525. Patented Sept. 29, 1896.

. THE NORRIS PETERS co. PnoTo-Lrmd. wuumawu D c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE M. DAVIS, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

CLASP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 568,525, dated September 29, 1896. Application filed November 23,1893. Serial No. 491,796. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JESSE M. DAVIS, of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supporters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My improvement relates to that class of supporter or fastener for garments and other articles in which are used two clasping or gripping levers; and it consists in certain specialties of construction which I will now describe.

Figure 1 is a side view with the lever-jaws closed, the movable pin or bolt being then in the outer end of the slots in the levers;

. Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side view with the jaws open and with the pin or bolt in the inner end of the slots, and Fig. at a perspective View of Fig. 3.

A and B are the levers, each having a toothed bent end b on one arm I) of the lever, and having aslot c in its other arm.

D is a fulcrum or axial rod on which both levers A B are pivoted.

E is a spiral spring wound around this rod D, and having its two ends 6 e projecting equally beyond the rod and each bearing, as shown, against the inner face of the toothed arms of the levers, so as to exert a normal tendency to force the toothed jaws open.

Each slot 0, at its end which is nearer to the fulcrum-rod D, has a curved or circular enlargement g, and for a purpose presently to be described.

H is the movable pin or bolt, from which the garment or otherartiole may be upheld or supported by any proper means, as, for instance,by a doubled piece I, of sheet metal, enfolding such bolt in its bight or doubled end,

such piece I being secured to a tape K, as shown.

The jaw-teeth b of each arm should be made to engage or mesh with those of the other arm, each tooth when the jaws are shut fitting between two teeth of the opposite jaw, and it is desirable that the jaws incline slightly toward each other the better to insure a close engagement.

It will be seen that when the jaws are closed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the action of the springE e eonthe jaw-arms instead of opening them serves to hold the opposite or slotted end firmly against-the Suspender-bolt H, thus preventing this bolt from dropping down in the slots when the tension on the tape K may be from any cause relaxed. When, however, it be desired to open the jaws, it is simply necessary to push the bolts 1-1 down in the slots to the enlargement g, and then the spiral spring is free to come into action, throwing the jaws apart, and holding them in that position. To close them again, it is necessary simply to pull the bolt outward by its tape, thus again firmly closing the jaws.

I claimof two levers A B, each having aslotclengthwise of the lever and terminating at its inner end in an enlargement g, wider than such slot, and each having an inwardly-curved jaw 12, and having a spring E, whose ends bear against the inner side of the jaws between JESSE M. DAVIS.

Witnesses PAUL M. LANCASTER,

FRANK J. Nnvnv.

The described arment-su ort consistin b 7 D the jaws and their fulcrum, and serving nor 8o 

